Bristol Bay sockeye limit stays at 10 fish through year's end in Wood River and Nushagak-Mulchatna drainages

Sport anglers heading into Bristol Bay's freshwater drainages can keep twice the standard sockeye limit through the end of the year, under emergency orders that remain in effect as the run pushes fish into most of the region's river systems.

Lee Borden, ADF&G sport fishery biologist for the Bristol Bay area, reported Wednesday that sockeye "continue to show up in large numbers and should be abundant enough to target in most Bristol Bay drainages." The orders set the bag and possession limit for sockeye at 10 fish in both the Wood River drainage and the Nushagak-Mulchatna River drainage, running through December 31.

Anglers may hold up to 10 sockeye plus up to five chum, pink, and coho combined. In the Nushagak-Mulchatna drainage outside the Wood River, king salmon retention remains prohibited through the end of king season on July 31, and bait use is prohibited through that same date. Borden also noted that "standard flossing methods that are applied to fishing sockeye throughout the state will be productive in Bristol Bay as well."

The doubled limit is not new to Bristol Bay. ADF&G raised sockeye limits to 10 fish in the same two drainages in July 2024, after escapements ran well above sustainable escapement goal ranges. The 2026 forecast projected a total Bristol Bay sockeye return above the long-term average, giving managers enough confidence to keep the liberal limits in place for the season.